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A review by irxren
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
3.0
Home Before Dark is a gripping blend of suspense and atmosphere, with its standout feature being the innovative narrative structure of a book within a book. The story alternates between two timelines: the present day, where Maggie returns to Baneberry Hall to uncover the truth, and 25 years ago, where her father recounts their terrifying experiences in the house through his memoir. This dual narrative worked beautifully, providing a seamless flow between past and present while building tension with each shift.
From the very beginning, the story pulled me in, making me feel as though someone might be watching from the shadows of my own room. Sager’s vivid descriptions of Baneberry Hall, with its ominous presence and the encroaching woods, were so well-crafted that I could almost smell the damp earth and feel the chill in the air.
However, the novel is not without its flaws. Some plot holes undermine the overall experience, including unresolved tensions between characters like Dane and Petra, the unexplained opening of the book to the Fourth of July chapter, and the mystery of Buster, the teddy bear. The identity of the shadow on the tree line and the little girl Maggie saw as a child also remain unclear.
From the very beginning, the story pulled me in, making me feel as though someone might be watching from the shadows of my own room. Sager’s vivid descriptions of Baneberry Hall, with its ominous presence and the encroaching woods, were so well-crafted that I could almost smell the damp earth and feel the chill in the air.
However, the novel is not without its flaws. Some plot holes undermine the overall experience, including unresolved tensions between characters like Dane and Petra, the unexplained opening of the book to the Fourth of July chapter, and the mystery of Buster, the teddy bear. The identity of the shadow on the tree line and the little girl Maggie saw as a child also remain unclear.